Prince Albert, Saskatchewan – The Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame will grow by seven inductees at their 32nd Induction Banquet on Saturday, April 27th in the Ches Leach Lounge.
The PA Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors nomination committee have recommended and the board approved the following: Ashley Viklund (athlete), Francois Fournier (athlete/builder), Melodie Boulet (builder), Jennifer Ferguson (builder), Brad & Tyson Fetch (builder), Al Dyer (meritorious service), 1995 Prince Albert Toppers (team).
In addition, the Esso Cup Organizing Committee will be recognized as the organization of the year.
The banquet will be held in the Ches Leach Lounge, adjacent to the PA Sports Hall of Fame on April 27 beginning at 6:00 PM.
This event is possible with the support of Crown Vacuum, Michael Lypchuk-Remax, Prince Albert Northern Bus Lines, Mann Northway and Lake Country Co-Op.
2024 Inductees
Ashley Viklund – Athlete
Ashley Viklund made her mark on the football scene as an athlete and a coach. Viklund was always interested in playing football as a youngster growing up in Prince Albert. However, there were not a lot of opportunities for young females to play tackle football.
Viklund’s football career took off in 2012 when she became a member of the Regina Riot Women’s Tackle Football team. During her time with the Riot, she was a two-time winner as the most valuable offensive lineman and also received the honour of being named the most valuable offensive player.
Viklund began playing for the Saskatoon Valkyries Women’s Tackle Football team in 2018. During her tenure, the Valkyries won three championships and she received the most valuable lineman award in 2021.
On the provincial front, she was named to the Saskatchewan provincial team in 2012, winning a silver medal. She also helped her team win gold in 2016 and was recognized as an all-star.
Viklund made her mark in football on the international stage, representing Canada twice at the Women’s Football World Championships. Team Canada took home a silver medal in 2017 and placed fourth in 2022.
Outside of football, Viklund competed in ringette, equestrian and powerlifting. In 2016, she took home bronze at the National Powerlifting Championships and in 2021 was named the top female lifter for Saskatchewan Powerlifting.
Viklund also took the time to develop young football players as a coach for Prince Albert Minor Football and the U18 Women’s Tackle Football provincial team, bringing home a silver medal as the special teams co-ordinator and offensive line coach in 2022. She is an NCCP certified positional coach in Tackle Football and a Level 1 referee.
Francois Fournier – Athlete/Builder
From an early age, Francois Fournier was involved in athletics. He started out as a member of the Prince Albert Gymnastics Club at the age of seven. By the time he was 15 he would place in the top three as an all-around gymnast in various meets including two seconds and one third place finish.
However, his accolades in athletics didn’t stop with gymnastics. He was also a keen competitor with the Prince Albert Polar Bear Swim Club with many first to third place ribbons to show for his hard work.
In basketball, he helped his St. Mary High School team win a city and provincial championship. In addition, his Molson Canadian Men’s Basketball Team claimed the Molson’s Northern Classic Championship in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Fournier also served as a basketball referee for many years and was awarded the Clayton Shaw Basketball Association Referee of the Year award for his commitment to excellence.
Fournier was one of the driving forces who helped resurrect competitive swimming in Prince Albert in the mid 70’s. As co-coach of the Prince Albert Kinsmen Aquatic Association (PAKAA), Fournier saw nine of his 14 swimmers qualify for provincials in their very first year. By the end of the second year, the PAKAA advanced from a fifth place ranking in Northern Saskatchewan to first.
In addition to swimming, Fournier also completed his diving level 1 instructor course and passed on his knowledge to young divers as he coached them in the sport.
As a builder, Fournier was instrumental in bringing a water show to Memorial Pool for residents of Prince Albert to enjoy. There were demonstrations on everything from swimming, to diving to lifeguarding and speed swimming. It was at this water show that the World Famous Flying Tanks were born. This group would go on to entertain at water shows across Saskatchewan in the 70’s and 80’s. They were well known for their skits and crazy, non-stop stunt dives.
On the national front, Fournier served as Vice President, Canadian Amateur Diving Association; 1981-1985. During this time, Fournier also helped implement a marketing campaign for Canadian Diver and Olympic gold medalist, Sylvie Bernier.
Fournier was a member of the organizing committee for the 1989 Canada Summer Games diving competition and chairman of the 1990 National Diving Championships. He was recognized for his work by the Canadian Amateur Diving Association and presented with an award as an athlete and a builder.
Internationally, Fournier was the chairman of the Dive Canada International meet and received a certificate of merit for his work as an announcer at Universiade in 1983.
Locally, Fournier served his community of Prince Albert as a member of city council and a Director with the Prince Albert Raiders.
Melodie Boulet – Builder
Whether it’s mentoring young officials or refereeing hockey at elite levels, Melodie Boulet has had an outstanding 20-year career as a hockey official. For two decades, she has helped pave the way for female hockey officials to follow her example.
Boulet started her officiating career with Prince Albert Minor Hockey and would soon move up the ranks to referee at elite levels. In 2010 and 2011, she was recognized for her excellence in officiating the U18 Female AAA hockey league by being named the league’s top official. In fact, in 2012, her excellence in her field was further honoured when the league named the top official award the “Melodie Boulet Top Official Award.” This solidified that her name would forever be associated with excellence in officiating in the league.
In addition to league play, Boulet has been an official for a number of significant sporting events including: the Saskatchewan Winter Games, Mandi Schwartz Female U18 AAA tournament, 2007 Juno Cup in Prince Albert, 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon, 2010 Esso Cup National U18 AAA female hockey championship in Regina, and the 2011 National Aboriginal hockey championship in Saskatoon.
As a lifelong learner, Boulet continues to enhance her skills as a hockey official. She was one of only two officials from Saskatchewan who was selected for the Hockey Canada Masters of Officiating Program. In 2007, she was involved in the Hockey Canada Female Officiating Program of Excellence and officiated Canada vs Japan. Boulet is also a member of the Canada West Region Program of Excellence.
Boulet has taken the skills she has learned on the ice and transferred her knowledge to younger officials as a mentor and supervisor. Boulet has been a high performance assignor for Hockey Saskatchewan. This includes Canada West female hockey, U18 AAA female hockey and the Female Junior Hockey League. She has also been involved with the Sask First Program and Saskatchewan Winter Games as a mentor and supervisor.
She served as a mentor and supervisor for Cianna Lieffers throughout her development all the way to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Boulet continues to be active and officiate all elite levels of hockey and mentor up and coming officials to help them grow and develop.
Jennifer Ferguson – Builder
As a teacher and school administrator, Jennifer Ferguson has done more than shape young minds. Her more than 20-year dedication to coaching softball, basketball and soccer has helped to build a community of well-rounded students as they move from the classroom to adulthood.
Ferguson began coaching in Prince Albert in 2002. She took on the task of not only coaching senior girls’ basketball and soccer at Carlton Comprehensive High School, but also took to the diamonds to become a coach with the Prince Albert Aces. She immediately had an impact on the teams she coached taking home a number of medals regionally, provincially and throughout western Canada.
In soccer, Ferguson coached senior girls at Carlton from 2002-2016. During this time, her team was crowned the regional champions five times and brought the provincial gold medal home to Prince Albert in 2009 and 2013. They were also two-time provincial silver medalists in 2015 and 2016, and brought home the bronze in 2012.
Carlton Comprehensive High School and Prince Albert were also well represented by the senior girls basketball teams Ferguson coached. During her tenure from 2002-2023, Carlton was crowned the regional champions a total of nine times and silver medalists three times. Under Ferguson, the teams also did very well at provincials winning gold in 2010, silver in 2007, and bronze in 2009, 2016 and 2018. The senior girls’ basketball team was always very competitive and tough to play against with Ferguson at the helm.
Her commitment to young women in Prince Albert and area expanded beyond the walls of the high school. Ferguson has been a coach with minor softball’s development teams for more than 20 years. The Prince Albert Aces and their players have been the benefactors of Ferguson’s knowledge of the game and ability to mentor and coach young girls.
The winning came early and often for Ferguson when she started to coach softball. In 2003, her Squirt team was provincial champions. The next two years, saw provincial championships in Pee Wee for Ferguson and a trip to Western Canadians, winning a bronze medal at the Western Canadian Championships in 2005 when Prince Albert was the host team. In 2009 and 2010, the Midget Aces would bring home the provincial championship to Prince Albert. The 2010 team also won gold at the Western Canadian Championships. The winning continued with that same team in 2011 when they graduated to the Junior age group. In that year, they won provincials and brought home silver at the Western Canadian Championships.
In 2013, Ferguson helped lead the Bantam Aces, who were perceived as an underdog, to a gold medal at Western Canadians in Winnipeg. In 2014, Ferguson’s Bantam Aces team would win provincials and advance to nationals and the next year they would take home a provincial silver medal in the Midget category and again advance to nationals.
Ferguson’s impact on the athletes she has coached is evident long after they move from the minor sports ranks as many have continued on to have success in university and college sports.
Brad and Tyson Fetch – Builder
The names Brad and Tyson Fetch are synonymous with the development of lacrosse in Prince Albert.
The brothers have held many different hats with Prince Albert lacrosse from referee, to coach, to scheduler, equipment manager and more. Brad Fetch played lacrosse as a youngster so he was thrilled to become involved as a coach beginning in 2000 when Prince Albert lacrosse was formed.
Brad’s coaching started out at the local level, schooling players on the ins and outs of the games and getting them to play at the provincials so they could see the higher level of play. Each year, the gap between Prince Albert and the other teams lessened and many of the PA teams began to medal at provincials. Brad also coached the Zone 8 team at the Saskatchewan Summer Games in 2008. The team would go on to win bronze in that event. Brad coached Team Saskatchewan at Nationals in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Brad was the president of Prince Albert Box Lacrosse from 2005-2007 and referee in chief since 2008. He also served as the referee in chief for the province for three years from 2014-2017. His success as a referee was noted by his peers, being nominated as the official of the year six times and winning the award in 2013 and 2015.
Tyson Fetch followed in his brother’s footsteps and got involved in all aspects of lacrosse, joining the board in 2007 as the aboriginal liaison. He took over as president the following year and remained as president until 2017. In addition to his board duties, Tyson also coached and would always bring one or two teams to provincials. In fact, during his 18 years of involvement in coaching he led 47 different lacrosse teams including the first female team in the league.
His coaching successes included assistant coach for the Pee Wee team representing Saskatchewan at nationals, head coach for the U19 Women in the North American Indigenous games in 2017 where they were part of making history as it was the first time lacrosse was included for women at the games.
One of Tyson’s biggest coaching passions was the Prince Albert Predators who play in the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League. He started out as the assistant coach in 2011 and then moved onto head coach. In 2018, Tyson’s second year as head coach, the Predators won their first championship since the club’s inception into the league. In 2022, Tyson was nominated as coach of the year for the Saskatchewan Lacrosse Association. After nine seasons, Tyson stepped down as coach of the Predators, but in order to keep building the sport, he stayed on as a consultant.
Brad and Tyson both have a profound respect for the game of lacrosse through the lens of Indigenous Peoples. They always took great care in their relationship with the Mistawasis community and for many years brought teams to play in Prince Albert. They also prided themselves in keeping registration rates low in an effort to remove any financial barriers families may have. In addition, they helped launch the first all female team in Prince Albert and worked to have all players feel valued, accepted and included.
Al Dyer – Meritorious Service
Al Dyer has spent a good portion of his lifetime contributing to his community with his work for Special Olympics, Nordale Community Club and female hockey in Prince Albert and beyond.
Dyer began his work with Special Olympics in 2000. In 2002, the Special Olympics Summer Games were awarded to Prince Albert and Dyer managed the successful event. He joined the Saskatchewan Special Olympics board in 2004 and held various positions including board chair and mission staff until 2017. His duties took him across the country travelling with Team Saskatchewan.
In 2014, Dyer was recognized for the time he gave to Special Olympics and received the Saskatchewan Sport Volunteer Award. This is also the year that he chaired the Special Olympics Saskatchewan Winter Games. His accolades didn’t end there. In November of 2015, he received the Harry ‘Red” Foster award from Special Olympics Canada. The award is made available by Special Olympics Canada for presentation to an individual, Special Olympics Chapter staff or volunteer who best exemplifies the spirt, philosophy and goals of the Special Olympics movement and has contributed significantly in the development, awareness and success of Special Olympics in Canada.
In 2019, Dyer was honoured at a 50th anniversary Special Olympics gala ceremony in Toronto. He was recognized as one of the 50 top builders for Special Olympics Canada.
Dyer also worked with the Prince Albert Raiders to help co-ordinate the Special O Power Breakfast. The event ran for 10 years and raised a total of $100,000 for the Raiders Education Fund and Special Olympics.
Dyer has also worked tirelessly for female hockey in Prince Albert as a board member of the Prince Albert Northern Bears U18 AAA hockey team. His work with the Bears culminated in 2023 when he was part of the organizing committee for the Esso Cup which saw Prince Albert as the host city for the National Female U18 AAA hockey championships. As co-chair of the marketing and sponsorship committee, Dyer helped create a legacy of $30,000 that will go toward the development of female hockey in Prince Albert and area.
Dyer also spent 25 years as a member of the Nordale Community Club board. During that time, he held a variety of positions including President, helping to co-ordinate everything from hall rentals to outdoor ice maintenance.
1995 PA Optimist Toppers – Team
The 1995 PA Optimist Toppers were a team for the volleyball record books in Prince Albert.
The team first found success in 1994, when several of the team members played for the Toppers and were crowned provincial champions. From there, 1995 would be their year as players from Prince Albert, Kinistino, Tisdale, Melfort, Birch Hills and MacDowall came together to play for a dominant Toppers team that would make Prince Albert sports history.
After earning their right to attend nationals in Prince Edward Island, the team needed to raise more than $20,000 in just three weeks in order to make the trip. In addition to practicing on the court during those three weeks, they were also out in the community raising money through various fundraising events.
All of the teamwork paid off as the ’95 Toppers were able to afford the trip and were the first team to represent Prince Albert at nationals. They would go on to win a silver medal. Team members were:
- Mike Davis
- Jesse Ens
- Scott Graham
- Christian Huddon
- Jeff Hunt
- Brad Hvidston
- Tyler Kabatoff
- Dan Lloyd
- Rene Quintal
- Derek Smith
- Joey Stabner
- Kent Vermett
Coaches: Griff Peet, Dale Regel
In addition to the team silver medal, the Toppers had a few individual award winners at Nationals. Scott Graham was named the Most Valuable Player and Derek Smith was recognized as an all-star.
Although a number of the players had previously played against each other on opposing teams, they all came together as one in Prince Edward Island on their way to winning the silver medal.
2023 – Esso Cup Committee (Organization of the Year)
The 2023 Esso Cup in Prince Albert was five years in the making. A bid package to host the 2020 version of Hockey Canada’s U18 AAA club championship was submitted in 2018. After numerous delays due to COVID-19, the host organizing committee guided a very successful event in 2023 that will leave a lasting legacy for the development of female hockey in Prince Albert and area.
After awarding the 2020 Esso Cup to Prince Albert in late 2018, Hockey Canada was forced to cancel the event 38 days before it began due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic also cancelled the 2021 event, with Hockey Canada choosing to host the Esso Cup and the U18 AAA boys’ championship in Calgary in 2022.
Finally, after years of waiting, the Prince Albert Host Organizing Committee (HOC) was pleased to host six teams in the 2023 event at the Art Hauser Centre from April 23-29. It was a very full week of events and hockey for the five regional champions and the host Prince Albert Northern Bears. The teams not only played some incredible hockey, but also enjoyed Prince Albert hospitality including a welcome event featuring live music, an opening banquet, the Hockey House, visits to games by many city elementary schools and more.
A team of 140 volunteers were led by the host organizing committee members: Robin Wildey (chair) Al Dyer and Bruce Vance (Special Events and Sponsorship), Luc Robin and Jim Flynn (Operations) Kerry Vezeau (Finance), Laura Quesnel (Ticketing), Michelle Grimard (Administration), and Laurie Huet and Taryn Svenson (Volunteers).
Female hockey in Prince Albert and area will benefit from the success of the event, which will see close to $30,000 go toward areas including scholarships, grass roots development, as well as equipment and facility enhancements.
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PASHOF citations will be presented to inductees from 2009 to make room in the hall for this year’s slate. The 2009 inductees’ information is on the Halls website: www.pashof.ca.
2009 inductees were:
- Blair Morgan – Athlete
- Adam Ens – Athlete
- Larry Haylor – Builder
- Dr. R.J. (Reg) Martsinkew – Meritorious Service
- 1995 Glen Pryor Senior Men’s Curling Rink
- 1983-84 Prince Albert Anavets Mosquito Baseball Team
- 1988-1991 Carlton Boys High school Basketball Team
Tickets for the 2024 Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame Banquet, April 27 are $75 each and available at Community Services at City Hall (306-953-4800),
For More Information:
Ellen Grewcock, PASHOF President – 306-980-6242
